186 THE PRINCESS OF WALES [1814. 



FKOM LADY CHAELOTTE LINDSAY. 



"WHITEHALL, Tuesday. 



"DEAR MR BROUGHAM, I am just returned from 

 a visit to Princess Charlotte, to whom I have communi- 

 cated your letter, which she read with attention. She 

 told me that she had constantly persisted (in her 

 correspondence with the Prince of Orange) in her 

 declaration of never leaving England unless under a 

 positive engagement of returning to it in three months, 

 and having her house and establishment here. He 

 has objected, and said that he would not be tied down 

 to weeks and days ; and in his last letter insinuated 

 something of her being forced to comply, which has 

 exceedingly offended her, and she is now more firmly 

 resolved than even she appeared to be before, to break off 

 the marriage, if her leaving England is insisted upon. 

 Her present intention is to write to her father (who 

 has never spoken to her about her marriage since the 

 first arrangement of it), and to tell him, in as respectful 

 and good-humoured words as she can, her resolution 

 of not leaving England. She is certainly in good 

 earnest ; but what can she do if she is not supported ? 

 She tells me that she believes the Prince of Orange is 

 a very good young man, but much under the control 

 of his family, and that his letters have been very 

 different since they have all been about him. I am 

 convinced that the Princess Charlotte is much under 

 the influence of Miss Mercer, who, I think, keeps her 

 very right and steady in her politics, and in many 

 things, but I fear that she does not encourage her to 

 give the support to her mother that she might do in a 



